When you give your camera to a stranger, what settings do you use?

I am finding that pictures taken by by-standers are often blurry. Looking at the EXIF, it doesn't seem to be a shutter speed issue (i.e 1/500 at 30mm). That makes me think it must be focus-related. Makes me think, what is the ideal setting to use? Auto/Green Box?

When you are in a public place and you want someone to take picture of you, what settings are used?

I would meter the scene, then set them in M so nothing the use does can change the shot. But I dont hand my camera to anyone

i always carry a point and shoot. and give that to the person taking a pic

and most of the time it takes them 20 seconds to find the shutter release button

OK, assuming I trust the person; most of the time it is a friend. But it is someone who doesn't know how to use a SLR. They do know how to use a P&S.

shutter priority then?

P

I put it in AUTO. But I never give my SLR to a stranger. I always hand them my P&S.

i just recently go a tripod so i now have no reason to hand my camera to anyone hehe

Green box, or P. Although I'm not sure if I would ever let a stranger handle my camera. Perhaps someone who also had a dslr and looked like they knew what they were doing, but even then I'm not sure.

I cannot remember the last time I felt the need to give my camera to a stranger. I can't run that fast, anymore

It's been a struggle to get my wife to take decent pictures at things I cannot attend. Right now I have the GF-1 for her, which I will set in either auto or Av mode for her depending on how little I know about the situation ahead of time.

I was just realizing that the auto-ISO on my 1D Mark IV would be perfect for getting my wife set up, but she is generally not willing to carry and use something that heavy.

440roadrunner wrote in post #9804857
I cannot remember the last time I felt the need to give my camera to a stranger. I can't run that fast, anymore

LOL....

Yes, I tend to look for people that already have a dSLR - but found out that doesn't necessarily mean they know how to use one...

gkarris wrote in post #9806808
LOL....

Yes, I tend to look for people that already have a dSLR - but found out that doesn't necessarily mean they know how to use one...

But they're most likely to get the auto focus point on a person. I have several snapshots of my wife and I in a restaurant and we're blurry, but the plants behind us are nice and clear in focus.

I typically put it on green box mode - or the 5dm2 auto mode. I don't hand my camera to strangers... we have a brief conversation and we're no longer strangers!

Honestly, orders of magnitude more people ask questions ABOUT the camera and lenses than actually ask to borrow or hold it.

Manual, prefocused (and focus not on shutter button!), if zoom lens then also instructions..."just press the shutter release, it is all preset exactly including zoom setting!"